Duke Nukem Forever Review. Classical Thrill

The long-anticipated action game was released on June 14, 2011, and it drew a huge number of Duke fans. Here’s a quick glimpse at what promises to offer visual changes and an entirely new dynamic.

Graphics: 4.0

The in-game textures generally look good, but the characters and some of the environments are a let-down. Too bad that the developers didn’t go the extra mile in polishing the visuals since these inconsistencies ruin the immersion. Regardless, the game has several cool lighting effects. Some areas such as the Hive are incredibly done with advanced effects which others barely have. One would believe that the rest of the game was designed in a way that would make Duke appear more of a badass.

Gameplay: 3.0

The game is a collection of seemingly fun activities involving run-and-gun action, pumping iron, car puzzles, and some shrunken Duke action. None of this is captivating, including the intro where you’ll be running within the base in moves that make you seem to ‘interact’ with security.

Duke’s movements are anemic, and he can’t fire or reload while running. At one point, Duke pops steroids before outrunning RPG shots. It seems most first-person shooters make it difficult to sprint and fire at the same time, and you would think this is one game that would break this kind of mold. That’s not the case, I’m afraid.

Duke is incredible, and everyone acknowledges this. But would he agree to star in this? Even as you unload rounds into enemies, it’s evident that Duke’s humor has indeed lost its touch. He may drop a good line occasionally, but for a better part of the game, he’s just crude and lacks humor when using four-letter words.

Controls: 3.0

It would be accurate to state that the game presents a set of controls that are too basic and slow. While some may argue that the controls were just fine in their era, you still can’t compare them to those of the predecessor. They are also imprecise, and you may be led into thinking that someone has slashed the gamepad sensitivity. There’s also no feedback from the enemies or weapons your target.

Replay Value: 2.5

Generally, the game doesn’t offer high replay value. The only thing that may be ‘forever’ about the game is its development process legacy. However, every aspect of the game doesn’t guarantee good replayability, and this won’t make you keep the game installed. Regardless of the mode you find enjoyable to play, it will definitely get stale fast, and you’ll end up wishing that Duke would remain fun forever.

Conclusion

We all wished to adore this game, and some individuals still do. However, it’s just almost a cash-in: a game that’s made to confirm the phrase ‘I told you so’ by the game haters who claimed how overrated this game was. However, its single player has enough stunts alongside a multiplayer component that’s forgettable but fun. At some point in the game, you may even feel the urge to hail the king.